Welcome Cary Siegfried, Your New Washington Public Library Director
By LeAnn Kunz, Interim Director & Cary Siegfried, Library Director
Cary Siegfried recently began her duties as the new Washington Public Library Director. The following is an interview conducted in anticipation of her arrival.
LK: Welcome back to Washington, Iowa! We are delighted to have you return to your hometown to be our Library Director. Can you tell us about growing up in Washington and what memories you have of the Washington Public Library?
CS: Thanks for the very warm welcome I’ve received from so many people! Growing up in Washington I always felt surrounded by music and art and books—I always describe myself as the least musical person from a musically talented family—my mom was a pianist, my dad sang, my brother played the trumpet and sang as well— thanks to Mrs. Helscher and Mrs. Roth, I can read music and play piano technically ok and thanks to Mr. McCurdy I have a good sense of rhythm—talent, not so much. But we were always at a concert or a play or an art event—and of course, we were at the Library every week. I actually still remember my old library card number – 575!
LK: What made you want to make such a big change from a large library system to a small-town library? What are you looking forward to in a rural community vs. big city life?
CS: I’ve worked in and been the director in large multi-branch public libraries for the last 30 years—one of the things I’ve always tried to ensure in my career is that I’m in a position to learn something new and to work with great people who are committed to public service and I think I’ll find both of those in Washington.
LK: The Washington Public Library has a long history and many traditions. How do you feel about traditions in libraries as well as new concepts and ideas for libraries?
CS: Tradition drives library users to come back year after year because they feel part of a community that they belong in; fresh concepts and ideas can attract new library users into that community that the library builds. We need both to keep the library relevant and flourishing. I love that fact that there are so many things (like the old circulation desk) in the new library in Washington that came from the old library!
LK: What is a book you have read recently that would be your first recommendation to our WPL readers?
CS: I listen to a lot of audiobooks and a couple of them that I enjoyed recently were Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau and Deacon King Kong by James McBride. I suppose one of the reasons I enjoyed Mary Jane so much was because it was about a young girl growing up in the 1970s and I could see myself in Mary Jane. I loved Deacon King Kong for the opposite reason—its set in Brooklyn in the 1960’s in a housing project and is a hilarious and touching story of community and connection. I think these two books really represent the reasons that I read: to learn more about myself and also to understand others.
LK: Is there anything else you would like the community of Washington to know as you settle in?
CS: I’ll really appreciate everyone’s patience as I learn (and re-learn) names and faces and get my bearings over the next few months.